Weston reggae musician Mystic Bowie has strong roots in Jamaica. There’s a Mystic Bowie Cultural Center in Accompong Town.
But after Hurricane Melissa, nearly every home and school must be rebuilt. Families are in urgent need of safety, shelter and support.
Bowie is doing what he can to help. And he wants everyone here to join the effort.
On November 29 his Talking Dreads band take the stage at the Fairfield Theater Company’s Warehouse.
Tickets are $100, $50 and $35. All proceeds support the Mystic Bowie Cultural Center’s Jamaica Relief efforts in Accompong Town. Click here to purchase or donate, and for more information.
Special musical guests will be announced soon. Bowie says, “feel the rhythm, share the love, and stand with us in solidarity as we help bring hope back to the heart of Jamaica.”
Mystic Bowie
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Jamaica is not the only place with desperate need.
Mark Yurkiw — who has spent the past 3 years raising funds and providing material help to Ukraine, where he has strong roots.
Mark says, “each night hundreds of Russian drones descend, damaging homes, schools and hospitals and across the country. All the wiring in these buildings needs to be reconnected and made safe.
“They are in desperate need of power cords, extension cords, electrical wires, etc.
“I hope ‘06880’ readers who have wires, of any sort or size or length, can drop them at my garage doors (190 Cross Highway).
“They don’t need to work, and they don’t need connectors at the end. (Ukraine uses different connectors.)
“Any tools used to work with electricity are extremely helpful too: pliers, wire cutters, testers, electrical tape, etc. Donations for shipping are also welcome. Slava Ukraini!”
Questions? Email mark.think3d@gmail.com.
Mark Yurkiw, at his garage with Ukrainian art he created.
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There is need in Westport too.
The (thunderous and well-deserved) applause had scarcely died down after Staples Players’ (sensational) opening night performance of “Les Misérables,” when parent volunteers loaded up the first delivery of non-perishable food and personal hygiene items to Homes with Hope.
Audiences are filling bags for the Westport’s homeless shelter and food pantry. Stew Leonard’s helped, donating 1,000 reusable shopping bags for HwH.
Collections will continue at today’s 2:30 p.m. matinee, and next weekend’s 5 shows. Click here for tickets, and more information.
Staples Players’ audience donations, headed to Homes with Hope. (Photo/Kerry Long)
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Speaking of Staples: The field hockey’s team quest to three-peat as state champions came to a tough end yesterday.
Longtime archrival Darien eked out a 1-0 victory, in the state class “L” (large schools) final at Wethersfield High School. It was the Wreckers’ only shutout of the year.
The Blue Wave also barely beat Staples in the FCIAC (league) championship. That game was even closer: 2-1 on penalty strokes, after the teams were tied through 2 overtimes.
In other Wrecker sports news, the boys soccer team meets their own rival, Greenwich, in the “LL” (extra large schools) championship today (Sunday).
Kickoff is 3:30 p.m., at Hartford’s Trinity Health Stadium. Click here for the livestream.
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Speaking still of Staples: What began years ago as a simple request to help raise funds to fight breast cancer has grown into a very important annual “Get Your Pink On” campaign.
Recently, the school’s field hockey team, Gridiron Club, Pyramid Club, Boys Soccer Foundation, Pink Aid Club, and their fans raised funds for the cause.
The initiative began with Tammy Zelkowitz. The mother of a Staples football player was inspired by national sports teams promoting breast cancer awareness each October. If they could do it, she thought, so could Staples.
Pink Aid, which began as a local nonprofit, has since grown into a national organization providing emergency financial assistance and emotional support to underserved and underinsured women battling breast cancer.
Since launching the campaign in 2011, Staples has donated $95,000 to Pink Aid. Congratulations to all who have shown the power of compassion, collaboration and student action.
Staples’ Pyramid Club, Gridiron Club and captains present a $3,112 check to Pink Aid.
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The news that Bloodroot — the women’s collective vegetarian restaurant/ feminist community center, co-founded by Westporter Selma Miriam — is closing after 48 years in Black Rock has saddened its many devoted fans.
They can gather, reminisce — and learn a lot — on December 2 (6 p.m.). MoCA\CT will screen “A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot.” The 97- minute documentary was released earlier this year.
The showing will be followed by a Q&A with Bloodroot co-founder Noel Furie, and documentary director Annie Laurie Medonis.
The film is presented in conjunction with the current exhibition, “Enough Already: Women Artists from the Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell Collection.”
In addition, there’s a book signing of Emily Larned’s “40 Years of Bloodroot.” It includes personal-political essays by Miriam and Furie, and photographs.
The event is part of MoCA’s continuing exploration of feminist voices in art, culture and community through Enough Already. Tickets are $10; $8 for seniors and students; free for members. Click here to register, and for more information.
Noel Furie and Selma Miriam: through the years.
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Speaking of food places: Gofer has closed.
The shop featuring “premium hard and soft serve ice cream, plant-based and fat-free options, smoothies, cakes and more” replaced Silver Ribbon, in the strip mall with Fortuna’s and Greens Farms Spirit Shop, in 2022.
The website still lists Westport, along with Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Riverside, Stamford and Wilton.
Gofer was a few hundred yards from another ice cream outlet, here much longer. They’ve severed ties with Carvel, but continue to do business with a generic “Soft Serve” sign.
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Work is proceeding on the Sherwood Mill Pond tidal gates renovation project.
There’s plenty of equipment in and around the area.
(Photo/Matt Murray)
The staging area — for those who wonder what’s going on there — is the Compo Beach Soundview Avenue parking lot.
Completion is expected by Memorial Day.
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Over 50 volunteers showed up, for Wreathing for Community’s recent project.
They created 60 beautiful wreaths. Fifty apartments at Norwalk’s Open Doors Shelter are now hung with the handsome creations. Ten more are spread throughout the community center.
Faith Sargent — who organized the event — thanks all the wreath-makers, as well as the dozens of people who donated florals, wreath bases, ribbon and tools.
Many donated food, which also helps sustain Open Doors residents during the holiday season.
To learn more about Wreathing for Community, email faithasargent@gmail.com.
Some of the many wreath-makers, with their creations.
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The curtain rises this week for Coleytown Middle School’s musical.
“Dare to Dream Jr.” is an hour-long, fun-filled show — perfect for kids of all ages. Shows are 6 p.m. Thursday (November 20) and 7 p.m. Friday (November 21). Click here for tickets.
The cast of Coleytown Middle School’s “Dare to Dream Jr.”
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This is a long fall.
And we’re loving every day of it.
Today’s leaves-are-still-hanging-on “Westport Naturally” comes from Timber Lane.
But it could be many other places around town.
We are very lucky indeed.
(Photo/Celia Campbell-Mohn)
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And finally … in honor of Coleytown Middle School’s “Dare to Dream” show (story above):
(Here’s “06880”‘s dream: That everyone who enjoys our hyper-local blog — and has the means to — chips in by clicking here to support our work. Hey, a boy can dream …)
I have a strong connection to Jamaica. I taught with Thelma Manley, Michael Manley’s second wife. We taught at Mount Alvernia High School. They had a son in 1958 and he attended University of Havana in 1976. Fidel Castro sent his private plane to pick her up to visit Cuba for three weeks and she could take 15 friends. She asked me to go as Castro’s guest. Three weeks at Christmas was too long, so I declined, but did go legally in 2002 and still have my stamped passport. I have many stories about my time in Havana! I have many more from my travels to Jamaica.